[Originally posted at http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2013/02/robert-farago/this-is-how-the-dhs-seizes-your-guns/ ]
The Truth About Guns
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently raided one of our readers: a kitchen table FFL dealer who does everything—everything—by
the book. He has, however, consistently criticized the ATF for its
unconstitutional regulations and long history of extra-legal activities.
This is his story. Update to follow, after he consults with his lawyer .
. .
First of all, forget about them coming
to the door. They’ll intercept you on your way home from the Doctor’s
office (for example), then one vehicle will come up behind you and two
will block your way in front and turn on the flashing lights. They then
jump out with ‘real’ assault rifles, point them at you and order your
hands up, and exit the vehicle. You, being a law abiding citizen,
comply. At gunpoint, they order you to assume the position against your
car, handcuffs you and frisk you, and you’re directed to get into the
back seat. Then the lead agent gets into the driver seat and drives your
car to your driveway. You sit there with cuffed hands behind you –
bleeding.
As multiple vehicles close off the street and announce over a
loudspeaker for all your neighbors to remain indoors (and are prohibited
from leaving), the lead agent calls your house and directs your wife to
come out of the house – and sit in the front seat. She does. Then the
Homeland Security Special Tactical Unit, and the county sheriff Swat
Team arrive, and drive two armored cars over the curb onto the lawn, as
the “Jack Booted Thugs” with machine guns, helmets, boots, camo,
etc. enter and search your house.
You see a Homeland Security Helocopter circling overhead. You are
asked if you have any explosives (well, several cans of black powder….)
and are there any booby traps in the house. They offer to let you read
the search warrant, but your hands are cuffed behind your back. The
agent in your car reads it very quickly.
After the Jack Booted Thugs are through, teams arrive to search and
ransack the house. After about an hour, you are released and NO CHARGES
are filed. You are required to stay beyond the perimeter as they set up
tables in your yard and begin to paw through and process your worldly
possessions.
You finally realize that they’re going to keep an eye on you, but you
go to a neighbor to make phone calls – and find a good lawyer, who
arrives on site, but is kept out by the agents. The agents search one of
your cars and release it to you. Hours later, knowing there is nothing
you can do on site, you leave and arrange a motel for the night.
Later, about 9PM (12 hours later), you phone your house and an agent
answers, then advises you they’re about to leave. You drive to your
house to see four Feds in your front yard, ready to leave. They tell you
they don’t know where the house key is (which you gave them), nor where
your cat is. They hand you a copy of the search warrant, but fail to
provide a copy of the inventory (which they give you two days later).
You examine your house. Your computers are gone along with every
extra & old hard drive, all data cds, floppies, thumb drives,
compact flash drives, and other SD drives for your camera. But most
shocking, is that your entire gun collection, which you spent a lifetime
building, is gone.
Antique guns, airguns, non-guns. Virtually everything. One antique
shotgun lies broken on the floor. Papers are strewn everywhere. Once
they looked at it, and didn’t want it, they just tossed it aside. Piles
of paper. The house is trashed – every room. Your clothing has been
ransacked. Your wife’s clothing and underwear. You don’t even know what
is missing. You look around, feel sick, lock up the house and go to the
motel.
You return the next day to try to start to get things back in order, but realize it will take weeks.
Later, you find out that the affidavit which justified the search
warrant is sealed – and you can’t even find out why they searched and
seized. A few days later, the sworn affidavit is unsealed, and you find
out that the agent lied repeatedly, told half-truths, speculated about
possible violations, and related his ‘suspicions’ with no basis in fact –
and that the search warrant is nothing more than a gigantic fishing
expedition to see what they could find . . .